But what if it isn't a dream? What if Ian is really Prince Erus, a golden dragon who was hidden in the human world for protection? What if it really is his destiny to defeat the black dragon Acerbus and return the land of DRACONIGENA to peace and prosperity?

If he accepts this truth, he'll have to abandon his human life, his parents, and his best friend. Not to mention, he'll have to master all seven abilities of the dragon races to defeat Acerbus, the dragon who killed Ian's parents and rules DRACONIGENA without mercy.

Over the summer, my niece started hinting that I should read DRACONIGENA. Then her hints turned to strong recommendations and then finally to a straightforward plea. She feels very strongly about DRACONIGENA and wants everyone to read it. Steven Spriggs, the author, is my niece's math teacher. Any teacher who can inspire such passion for reading (while in a math class no less!) in his students deserves some serious praise. Not only do his students want to read his novel but they want to share that story with others. Bravo!

The story begins slowly as Ian/Erus is introduced to his true identity and learns about his dragon self and that world. The worldbuilding in DRACONIGENA is a work of love and passion for Steven Spriggs. The world and dragon culture is detailed and fully-realized. The physical world of DRACONIGENA is loving described, and the varied geography lends itself towards explaining each dragon race's unique ability.

Nearly half the book is dedicated to Erus's training in his dragon abilities and there is little conflict during this first half of the book. Ian/Erus's guilt at leaving his human parents is mentioned but almost as an afterthought rather than a constant and real conflict.

Once the training is complete and Erus and his guardians gather an army against Acerbus, the pacing picks up. Spriggs does a good job of showing battle scenes with enough detail to show the major action without bogging down the pace. Without giving away too much, I do wish I had seen more of Acerbus throughout the book. His story and his origins are a large mystery throughout, but there is only one chapter where he's physically present. His threat and Erus's uphill struggle to defeat him would have had more impact if Acerbus had played a larger in- scene role. The story went a little longer than it should have, dragging out the ending unnecessarily.

Overall, I was happy to read DRACONIGENA. I could see from the detailed world and the large cast of characters that Steven Spriggs loved writing this book and envisioned an epic landscape of magic, dragons, and the ultimate battle between good and evil. I hope he continues to write, learn about the craft, and inspire more students to follow their dream.

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